Few people today have glimpsed true Illinois: the unbroken land that first met the eyes of settlers. But stand in a prairie and you might find yourself experiencing a portal through time.
The value of the land these early pioneers witnessed turned out to be its downfall. Rich soils and biodiversity had formed over millennia. But in a few short decades, it was all but erased – plowed for crops or mined for coal, sand, or limestone.
Of the former 22 million acres of prairie that once blanketed the state, only an estimated 2,000 acres escaped the plow – less than 1/100th of a percent. The loss is staggering. That any survived is a miracle.
Where did these portals survive? Surprisingly often, in pioneer cemeteries - set aside in the young days of our statehood. Many of these sites are legally protected. Yet their future is by no means assured. In many cases, their fragile heritage has no caretakers assuring that it is protected from invasive brush, weeds, and the increasing pressure of herbicide drift.
We can reverse the course through hands-on care. In cooperation with many agencies, Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves have readied tools, plans, and authorizations to do the “eco first aid” that will save these areas from loss by neglect. Friends are launching a month-long marathon of cemetery prairie eco-restoration workdays across the northern half of the state to care for these irreplaceable sites.
Calling all nature lovers, action-takers, people who like to work together to make change: all are invited to join in one or more opportunities throughout the month of October with Friends of Illinois Nature Preserves - you can make a difference.
